“The reunification of Germany in 1990 was primarily due to the leadership of Helmut Kohl”. How far do you agree with this statement?

Question 1

What should be your first sentence ?

Answer 1

Unification in 1990 was due to a range of interrelated factors.

Question 2

Finish the sentence: Whilst it is doubtless that Helmut Kohl played a crucial role in German unification

Answer 2

it is more difficult to assert that it was ‘primarily’ due to his leadership.

Question 3

Instead of being the primary factor in reunification, what was Kohl doing?

Answer 3

Reacting to a number of more fundamental events taking place that contributed to German unification, such as the growing social and economic problems of the GDR and the roles of the foreign powers, particularly that of the USSR’s leader, Mikhail Gorbachev.

Question 4

What early announcement from a close adviser shows that in the early stages of unification, Kohl cannot be considered the main factor and he was only ever reacting to events?

Answer 4

In July 1989, Kohl’s chief foreign policy advisor, Horst Teltschik, stated that the FRG’s main focus was working towards stability and peace in Europe, not seeking to alter existing borders.

Question 5

What three things can you talk about with Kohl?

Answer 5

1) 10 point plan
2) Currency and economic unity
3) Drawing in foreign powers

Question 6

How did Kohl aim to stabilise the migrant crisis?

Answer 6

Moving towards a confederate state then full unity within 5-10 years

Question 7

Kohl advocated in his 10 point plan that Germany should be moving towards a confederate state then full unity within 5-10 years. How does this show that he was important, but limited?

Answer 7

Perhaps the fact that it happened so much quicker than Kohl had intended suggests that he was not truly in control of the moves to unity.

Question 8

How was the 10 point plan a reaction to domestic events?

Answer 8

His party, the CDU, were polling very low and he believed that by announcing the plan, he could win the next election

Question 9

When did Kohl make his speech to the Bundestag, what did he say in it, and what did this reverse?

Answer 9

28th November 1989 “regain Germany’s national unity”, reversing his previous position of wanting to maintain stability

Question 10

He was the first chancellor in how long to call for reunification?

Answer 10

Over 20 years

Question 11

What does the fact that fact that Bush and Gorbachev reacted so angrily to Kohl’s speech suggest?

Answer 11

That it was Kohl who had the agency to push forward with unity not foreign powers

Question 12

What did Kohl react to that gave Kohl the ability in the FRG to push forward with economic integration?

Answer 12

The elections in the GDR on March 18th 1990

Question 13

What was the result of the March 1990 elections for Kohl’s strategy with Maizière?

Answer 13

Within two weeks of Maizière coming to office they had set a date for economic and social unity

Question 14

What was the first step of economic unity?

Answer 14

East Germans were allowed to convert DDM4000 into West German Marks (DM) at an exchange rate of 1:1, despite the real exchange rate being closer to 1:4

Question 15

How did economic unity cause economic meltdown?

Answer 15

Even though the currency conversion was very generous for those in the GDR, it caused an economic meltdown because the East Germans were simply not used to paying FRG prices for goods, as well as having to pay for things that previously the exceptionally generous welfare state would have provided for.

Question 16

When was economic unity to take effect?

Answer 16

July 1st 1990

Question 17

What replaced the worthless East German mark as the currency of East Germany
?

Answer 17

Deutschmark

Question 18

What happened to east germane wages and pensions?

Answer 18

they were paid in the Deutschmark on par with the East German currency

Question 19

What did the FRG have to provided to cover the GRR pensions and unemployment benefits, and since when had they been doing this?

Answer 19

Massive loans since 1983

Question 20

what else happened at the same time as economic unity?

Answer 20

Many other FRG laws became laws in the GDR

Question 21

How did Kohl gain the support of Bush?

Answer 21

came round to the idea of a strong Germany in central Europe as a barrier to the spread of communism

Question 22

Which two leaders opposed a new Germany in Europe?

Answer 22

Thatcher and Mitterrand

Question 23

Give a judgement for the leadership of Kohl?

Answer 23

With a serious situation, the decline of the GDR and resulting migration crisis, Kohl was able to take control of a serious situation and define the way to reunification. He is therefore not the primary factor, but was reacting to more important factors.

Question 24

What are the most important factors?

Answer 24

Foreign powers and the collapse of the GDR

Question 25

What are the two bits of the collapse factor?

Answer 25

collapse and migration crisis

Question 26

Even before the wall fell in 1989, how many East germans had left in 1987?

Answer 26

1.2 million

Question 27

In November 1989 how many East Germans moved to the West and in January 1990 a further how many left the country?

Answer 27

113 000

60 000

Question 28

When the wall fell, how many left East germany every day?

Answer 28

2000

Question 29

When the wall fell 2000 people left every day. IN which two ways did this lead to unification?

Answer 29

This led to unification not only because of the integration that it provided but also because that it was fundamentally unsustainable to be losing so many people from the country.

Question 30

By which date, how many East Germans had crossed into Austria via the Hungarian border, thanks to Hungary opening its border with Austria?

Answer 30

7th October, 40 000

Question 31

When did Hungary open its bored with Austria?

Answer 31

on 2nd May 1989

Question 32

By what date, how many East Germans were camped around the FRG’s embassy in Prague?

Answer 32

By 3rd November, 45 000

Question 33

Between August and November 1989 alone, how many left the country

Answer 33

200 000

Question 34

How many more, on to of the 200 000 who left the country between August and Novmenebr 1989, were estimated to be hoping to join them?

Answer 34

1.3 million

Question 35

How did migration lead to the collapse of the GDR?

Answer 35

They were losing skilled workers which was a great loss for the economy and for the state

Question 36

What did an option poll show about unity and when was this?

Answer 36

Late november 1989, over 70% of East Germans favoured unity again

Question 37

What led to economic chaos?

Answer 37

Western consumer goods flooding the country

Question 38

The depleting workers led to economic productivity falling by how much in East Germany’s factories?

Answer 38

Productivity in the GDR’s factories fell by 50% as the country was depleted of valuable workers, many of whom were skilled, young workers

Question 39

What two gases did East germany have the highest concentrations of anywhere in the world, indicative of how bad their environmental situation was?

Answer 39

CO2 and SO2

Question 40

How much greater than the European average was respiratory illness in the GDR?

Answer 40

Twice the European average

Question 41

Compare the life expectancy of someone in the FGR compared to the GDR?

Answer 41

By 1989 the life expectancy of a GDR citizen was 2 1/2 years lower for men and 7 years lower for women compared to the FRG.

Question 42

What were the demonstrations happening in Leipzig by which date in December?

Answer 42

11th December, mass demonstrations of 300 000 people took place in Leipzig with protestors carrying german flags and calling for unification

Question 43

When did Kohl visit dresden?

Answer 43

19th December

Question 44

How was Kohl received in Dresden on 19th december?

Answer 44

100 000 people gathering to hear him talk

Question 45

What fell on which date in january 1990 confirming the collapse of the GDR?

Answer 45

19th January Stasi HQ

Question 46

Who is the most important part of foreign powers?

Answer 46

Gorbachev

Question 47

What did Gorbachev abandon in the 1980s, when was this and with what did he replaced it?

Answer 47

Brezhnev doctrine replaced with Sinatra doctrine in 1986

Question 48

What did the Sinatra doctrine do?

Answer 48

gave soviet satellite state a degree of autonomy and sovereignty

Question 49

When did Kohl meet with Gorbachev?

Answer 49

February 1990

Question 50

Between which two dates was Kohl the leader of the FRG?

Answer 50

1982-1990

Question 51

With the knowledge that the USSR was dependent on West German economic aid for its survival, Gorbachev declared what?

Answer 51

“The German People must decide for themselves which path they choose to follow”

Question 52

What did Bush announced in December 1989, before the 4+2 negotiations?

Answer 52

USA would only support unity if they new German state was a member of NATO

Question 53

For Gorbachev it was clear only a massive loan could prop up the GDR. Why was he unwilling to pursue this?

Answer 53

Moscow had its own economic problems

Question 54

When was the 4+2 nmegoations?

Answer 54

March 1990

Question 55

What put renewed pressure on Gorbachev?

Answer 55

The Success of the ‘Alliance for Germany’ in the GDR’s elections

Question 56

What did the coalition government, the alliance for germany, do that combined with the economic unity in July to put pressure on Gorbachev?

Answer 56

The Alliance for Germany requested membership of the FRG under Article 23

Question 57

What suggests that Gorbachev was perhaps forced to accept unity?

Answer 57

The USSR was in its own financial crisis and required foreign loans, a request rejected by both the USA and UK which meant that Gorbachev had to turn to the FRG for help.

Question 58

When did Gorbachev tell Bush that he would accept Germany as a member of NATO?

Answer 58

May 1990

Question 59

When was the treaty signed that reunified Germany?

Answer 59

12th september 1990

Question 60

The fact that until 1990 Britain and France still believed it was possible to save the GDR through loans, despite the dramatically poor economic condition is indicative of what?

Answer 60

the extent to which they did not want unity

Question 61

How did Mitterrand brand the Germans?

Answer 61

Bad germans

Question 62

Jaques Delors, President of the European Commission, suggested what?

Answer 62

That the GDR could become a member of the EU as a second state, negating the need for unity